Machine for attaching flap-securing means to envelops.



W. E. SWIFT.

' MACHINE ron mAcHlNG FLAPsEcumNG MEANS To ENvELoPs.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9. I9I3.

Patented July 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. E. SWIFT.

MACHINE FOR ATTACHING FLAP SECURING MEANS T0 ENVELOPS.

APPLICATmN FILED JULY 9. |913.

-1 ,274,346. l' Patented July 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. E. SWIFT. MAcH|NE Foa MTACHING FLAP sEcuRlNG MEANS To ENvELoPs.

APPLICATION FILED )ULY 9. I9l3.

Patented July 30, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 entren rencontre cierren WJLIIARD ld.- SWIFT, OF WRCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSGNOR TO UNITED STJTES ENVELPE OMPANY, OE SPRHTG'FHELD, JIASSCHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that l, WILLRD ll Swirr, a

.citizen of thel United States, residinpr at vented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for httaching- Flap Securing' Means to Envelops, of which the following,

together ivith the accompanying drawings,

is a specification.

My invention relates to machines tor attaching flap securing means to envelops and more particularly to a machine for antoniatically attaching a button or washer to the body oi an envelop in such position that a string or cord carried b y the Hap of the envelop may be wrapped about it for the purpose of holding the tlap securely closed. Automatic machines for this purpose have already been devised, but it often happens that thejpull on the button by the cord is snthcient to detach the hutten from the envelop by tearing the eyelet or 'fastener which secures thetWo together from the envelop, this trouble.beingl most frequently experienced in connection with envelops 'formed of material, such as thin paper, which may be easily torn.

@ne object of the invention is to provide a machine of the class referred towith automatic means for reinforcing the envelop at the point at which the button is attached, this automatic means acting simultaneously with the button attaching mechanism so that the attachingf of the button and the reinforcement by means et' a suitable fastener may be completed in a single operation. The buttons, reinforcements and fasteners are all fed automatically into proper position relatively to an envelop placed in the machine so that they may be secured to the envelop during a single cycle of movements of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide mechanism for supplying the reinforce ments in the form of small tabs of strong' paper or the like, these reinforcingr tabs being severed automatically by the machine from a tapeor strip of suitable material. While it is primarily intended that the reinforcing tabs shall be used in connection With the envelop flap securing buttons, it Will become obvious, as the description of Specification of Letters Eatent.

Timatented July 30, M3218:

amputation filed .hay e, i913. serial no. rimes.

the machine and lits advantages proceeds, that in 'some instances it will be desirable to fasten a' tab alone to a. sheet of material placed in the machine, the tab serving then as a reinforcement for the Veyelet or other fastener. For instance, a shipping tag may be supplied with aneyelet to receivetl'le stringi or cord for attaching the tap,r to an article to be tagged. rlhe reinforcing tabs in suc-h instances help to prevent the tag being torn lfrom the attachingr cord. When used :for this purpose, `the supply of buttons to the button feeding mechanism may be discontinued, or the button feeding mechanism may be omitted from the machine altogether.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatic mechanism for simultane ously supplying a button or Washer and a reinforcing,Y tab in proper positions, and at the proper time daring' the cycle of operation et the machine, to `be secured to the envelop by the eyelet or other fastener as it is furnished by the fastener setting portion oi the machine.

Another object of the invention is to supply an improved form of guard to prevent injury to an operator by the lfastener setting mechanism, automatic means being provided to nieve the guard out ot the way as the setting mechanism operates.

Another object o'l the invention is t0 ,provide access to the buttons or Washers during their movement through their feeding mechanism for the purpose of releasing'Y them in ease they become displaced so as not to tecd properly.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatic means to prevent injury to an operator by the button feeding mechanism while the operator is adjusting the positions of the washers which have been displaced so as not to feed properly.

Another object of the invention is to provide an in'lprovcd term of gravity tube through which the buttons may descend duiing,r their movement toward the fastener setting mechanism, the tube being so constructed as to be easily removable from the machine, but also so as to be held securely in position while in use.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description taken in conf nection `with the accompanying drawings,

arrangement of the driving mechanism of,... the machine; Fig. 5 i's a front view of the lower end of the button feedin tube together with adjacent portions o the machine; Fig. 6 is a side view showing the construction which permits access to the buttons in the button tube and also showing the automatic means for from injury while adjusting the positions of the buttons 'within their tube; Fig. 7 is a View of an envelop after a button and a reinforcin tab have been attached thereto by the mac iine; Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional View of the attached button and tab on the line 8-.8 of Fig..7; and Fig. 9 isa detail sectional view of the lower end of the up'- per set. f j

Like reference characters refer to similar parts 'in the diii'erent figures.

lin the form of the invention shown in thev drawings, the frame 1 supports the various operative parts of the machine in suitable positions for proper coperation. A common main drivingl shaft 2, by which the no part of the present invention, it is indicated diagrammatically in the drawings and no description thereof is deemed necessary. rllhe clutch is controlled by a lever 5 operated'by a treadle 6 and a spring 7.

The form of machine shown is ldesi;l ;ned to secure thel buttons and reinforcing tabs to the envelops by means of fasteners in the form of eyelets. The eyelet setting mecha nism includes a removable lower die or anvil 8 secured by a set screw 9 in the upper face of the forward end of a horizontal supporting extension 10 of the frame 1. eyelet set 11 in alinement with the die 8 is carried to and from the die by a vertically reciproc'atory plunger 12 moving in vertical ways 13 formed at the forward end of la horizontal extension 14 of the frame 1. The plunger 12 is supported from a fixed pivot 15 by means of a toggle-joint composed of the links 16 and 17, the toggle-joint being driven by a rod 18 pivotally attached at its forward end to the knee of the toggle-joint and at its rear end to one arm 19 of a bell crank supported by a pivot 20 carried by the frame 1. The other arm 21 of the bell crank is pivotally connected at its free end to the upper end of a driving rod 22, the lower end of the driving rod 22 being acturotecting an operator Anv ated by a crank vpin 23 on the face of a crank plate 24 secured at the inner free end of the driving shaft 2. 1t is obvious that, as the driving shaft 2 rotates, the set l11 will be reciprocated toward and from the die 8 by the connecting mechanism described so as to set and properly position an eyelet. The driving rod 22 includes a yieldable jointv 25 to prevent injury to the machine in case the full setting mot-ion ofthe set 11 is prevented by a broken or deformed eyelet, or 'otherwise. .Eyelets are fed automatically to the setting mechanism throughv an eyelet chute 26 supported by 'a fixed pivot 27 so that its lower end may move into and out of the path-of the set 11 as the set reciprocates. The set 11 is provided.` with the usual form of'spring pressed picker inger 28 as shownin Fig. 9 for picking the lowermost eyelet from the chute 26 as the set descends, the

finger being supplied so as to engage the eyelet frictionally and prevent its dropping oii after the lower end of the chute has been retracted. A

The die 8 and the forward end of. its horizontal' support 10 are surrounded f by the guard 29, this guard serving also as a guide for directing an envelop into proper position between the die and the set to receive an eyelet. Fig. 7 shows an envelop 30 with an eyelet 3l after the eyelet has been set in proper position in the envelop. rFhe guard 29 is pointed at its Vforward end and its walls diverge rearwardly to surround the die 8 and the forward end of the support 10. An envelop to receive an eyelet is placed with its flap 32 below the guard and with the pointed end of the guard in the opening of the envelop. The envelop is then moved toward the machine until its upper face reaches the proper position under the set. Y

a pin, 38 projecting from the side of the guard ,H29 so asvto determine the position of the guard about. its pivots 34. A pin 39 upon the rea-rend of the lever 35 enters a slot 40 in the forward end of the lever 41, the lever 41 being supported by a pivot 42.

rlhe position of the lever 41 is determined by a connecting rod 43 attached at its upper end to an arm 44 of the main bell crank. `When the machine is at rest and the arm 44 of the bell crank is in-its normal position as shown in Fig. 1, the connecting rod 43 is raised to bring the upper end of the slot 40 against the pin 39, the guard 29 being thus held in its elevated or normal position.. After the machine is started, the connecting Irod t3 descends and, when the lower end of the slot '40 reaches the pin 39, the guard 29 is depressed about its supporting pivots 34 so that the envelop may drop onto the anvil or die 8 to receive the eyelet. The guard 29 has an opening 45 i, between the die 8 and the set 11 so that it this slide.

may drop without striking the die.

' The buttons or washers to be secured to the envelope are dumped into a hopper 46 and are fed from this hopper into a button tube /l7 by any suitable agitating mechanism actuated by an arm, 48 connected to the arm 19 of the main bell crank by a connecting rod 49. The buttons descend by gravity through the button tube t7 until the lowermost button rests upon the end of a slide 50, the lower end of the tube being separated from the shelf 51 to provide space for The slide 5G is carried by one arm 52 of a bell crank, the other arm 53 of which is actuated by a connecting rod 5t driven from a cam 55 through a bell crank including the arms 56 and 57, an antfriction roller 58 carried by the arm 57 being held in contact with the periphery of the cambby the spring rlfhe shape of the cam 55 is such as to allow the spring 59 'to move the slide 50 so as to carry the lowermost button or washer into register with the die 8 and set l1 and to hold the button in such position until it has been entered by the spring linger 2S, lhe cam then retracts the slide 50 from the path of the set 11 so that the set may descend with the washer and Vwith the eyelet which it has previously obtained from the chute 26. While the slide 5() is feeding the lowermost button, the remainder of the stack of but- `tons within the tube 47 is supported byl the upper face. of the slide as it nieves below the tube and, when the slide has been returned to its normal posltlon, the next button will drop into its seat in the end ofv the slide and, therefore, into position to be fed upon the next forward motion of the slide.

The lower end of the button tube 47 fits into a vertical opening in the frame of the machine, a flange (30 upon the tube resting against the frame to support the tube in .proper position, with its lower end just, clearing the upper face of the slide 50. The flange 60 is wide enough to engage a rccess or slot 61 in the frame of the machine, except that at one side the flange is reduced or cut away so that, when the tube is rotated horizontally to bring this rcduccd portion of the flange opposite the recess (51, it will clear the frame to allow the tube to be raised vertically and removed fromv the machine. The shelf (i1 hasI an opening (32 immediately below the button tube 47 so that, in case the buttons become caught in the tube so as not to descend properly, the operator may reach them with his linger to start them again. This opening 62 is closed by a plate (33 suspended by a pivot (54. The rear end of the plate (i3 is extended beyond the pivot (54 and below a second opening 65 in the shelf 5l. It is impossible for an operator to reach the buttons within the -tube 47 without first lowering the forward end of the plate (S3 away from the opening 62. This motion of the plate raises its extended rear end through the opening (35 and into the path of the arm 52 which carries the slide 50. The rear end of the plate 63, therefore, serves asa guard or protector to prevent motion of the slide 5() so as to cause injury to an operator while adjusting the stack of buttons within the tube 47. The plate (33 is held in its normal position by a spring (36.

The reinforcing tabs are fed into the machine in the form of a continuous strip or tape (i7, of paper or other suitable material, carried upon a rcel (38 pivotally supported at the rear of the machine. After leaving the rcel (it, the tape (37 passes throug'h a guideway (S9 in the frame of the machine and thcn between a friction feed roll and a presser roll 71. lhc shaft 72 of the feed roll 7() carries a driven gear wheel 7 3 which is in mesh with a driving gear wheel 74 rotatable upon the pivot t2. A ratchet 75 secured to one face of the driving gear wheel 74 is eotuated ly a pawl 76 pivotally attached to the lever tl. As the lever 41 moves` therefore. the feed roll 7() will he rotated to feed the tape G7 toward the die 8. The shaft of the presser roll 71 is journaled in blocks 77 mounted in guideways 78 formed in the frame of the machine. The blocks 77 are pressed yicldingly toward the feed roll 7() by springs`7), the force of the springs being adjustable by screws 80.` The tape 67 is, therefore. held yieldingly against the feed roll 70, the yielding pressure of the presser roll 71 being adjustable at will. The connection between the connecting rod 43 and the arm -l-t of the main bell crank is adjustable to and from the pivot Q() of the bell crank so that the angleiof movement of the lever V'l1 and its position at each end of its path may bc adjusted to cause the pawl 7G to engage properly with the teeth of the ratchet, 75.

After leaving the feed roll 70, the tape passes through a guide tube 81 pivoted at its rear end to thc sides of the support 10. The forward end of this guide tube 81 is held in a recess formed between a shelf 82 and a cutter or knife 83 carried by the guard 29, the tube 81 moving about its pivotal support with the guard 29. The tape (37 passes from thc tube 81 through an opening hetween the forward portions of the shelf 82 cured vto the support immediately be-l hind the die 8 and the cutter 83 is Ase cured adjustably to the guard 29 by lscrews 85 so that it may be made to register properly with the lower cutter 84:.

' rfhe relation of the parts'of the machine y is such that, as the set 11 descends with an eyelet and a button upon its picking nger 28, the guard 29 will drop just sufficiently to allow the lowerend of the picking finger 28 tov press against the die 8 with the envelopv and the forward end of the tape 67 between them. rfhe lower end of the slot 40 will then engage the pin 39 to force the cutter 83 to descend farther past the cutting edge of the cutter 84 so as to sever a'tab from the however, to reinforce is inserted. When the ma j forward end of the tape'. The tab is, therefore, notl severed until it is held firmly in.po sition by the picking linger 28 and the die 8. 'llhe set 11 then continuesto descend so as to set the eyelet, thus securing the button 86 and the severed reinforcing tab 87 upon opposite sides of the upper face of the envelop, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. rl`h'e Asupport 10 carries a stop or gage 88 to determine the proper position of the envelop upon its'lsupporting guard 29 so that the button 86 and tab 87 may be securedlto the envelop in convenient position to receive the free vend of the cord 89 carried by the flap 32.

As already suggested, it may be desired at times to set an eyelet in a shipping tag,

or other article, and without any button 'or washer, the reinforcing tab being supplied, the article at the point where the eyelet chine is used for this purpose, no buttons are. supplied to the hopper 46, the hopper and the button tube 47 being left empty, or

the button tube 47 may be removed from the.

machine if desired. rllhe operation of the machine is otherwise unchanged. A

While lrhave shown and described the details of one form of my inventiomldo not wish to be limited to such details as changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; but having described my invention, what ll claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l.l ln a fastener setting machine, fastener setting mechanism, means for feeding a button into fastener receiving position, means for feeding a reinforcing member into fastener receiving position, and means for actuating the setting mechanism to secure the button and the reinforcing member to anv envelop by a fastener.

2. ln a fastener setting machine, fastener setting mechanism, means for feeding a but- 'means for linto the path ofthe set on one, side of said Laagste 'ton into fastener receiving position, means for feeding a reinforcing member into fastener receiving position, means for feeding a fastener to the fastener setting mechanism, and means for actuating the fastener setting mechanism to secure the button and reinforcing member to an envelop by the fastener.

3. ln a fastener setting machine, fastener'-r setting mechanism, means for feeding a button into fastener receiving position, means for feedinga tape toward the fastener setting mechanism, means for severingareine.`

forcing tab from the tape, and means for actuating the fastener setting mechanism to secure the button and reinforcing tab to an envelop by a fastener.

fi. ln a fastener setting machine, an anvil,`

.a reciprocatory set, means for feeding a blut tonuinto the path of the set, means for feeding a reinforcing member into the 'path of the set, and means for moving the set to .ward the anvil to secure the button and thel reinforcing member to an envelop by a fastener. 5. fn a fastener setting machine; an anvil,

, a reciprocatoryset, means for feeding a fasf j tener into the path of the set, means for1 feed-.p

ing a button into the path ofthe set, means' for feeding a reinforcing member into ,the

'path of the set, and means for moving the set toward the anvil to secure the button and the reinforcing member to an envelop by the fastener. f Y

8. ln a fastener setting machine, a sup?- port for one face of an envelop, an anvil. adjacent said support, a reciprocatory set, means for feeding a button into the path of the set on one side of said face of 'theeny velop, means for feeding a reinforcing member into the path of the set. on the other side of said face of the envelop, and means for. moving the set toward the, anvil to-'secure the button and the reinforcing member to opposite sides'of said face of the envelop by a fastener. I

7. lin a fastener setting machine, 'a support for one face of an envelop, an anvil ad jacent said support, a reciprocatory set, feeding a fastener and a button face of the envelop, means for feeding a reinforcing member into the path of the set support, means for feeding a reinforcing'v member to a point within an envelop on the support, and means for securing the button and reinforcing member to opposite sides of one face of the, envelop by a fastener,

tener setting mechanism, means for feeding a tape toward the setting mechanism, means for severing the tape to form a tab, and

.means for actuating the setting mechanism to secure the tab to an article by a fastener.

11. In a fastener setting machine, fastener Setting mechanism, a feed roll' for feeding a tape toward the fastener setting mechanism, a presser roll ,for holding the tape against the feed roll, means for severing the 'tape to form a tab, and means for actuating the fastener setting mechanism to secure the tab to an article by a fastener.

12. In a fastener'sett'ing machine, fastener setting mechanism, a feed roll for feedinga tape toward the fastener setting mecha.- nism, a presser roll, yieldingr means for pressing the presser roll toward the feed roll, means for severing the tape to form a tab, andv means for actuating the fastener setting mechanism to secure the tab to an article b'ya fastener.

` 13. In. a fastener setting machine, fastener setting mechanism, means for feeding a tape toward the fastener setting mecha! nism, means for guiding the tape 'from the tape feeding means to the fastener setting .mechanisim means for severing the 'tape to` form a tab, and means for actuating the fastener setting mechanism to secure the tab to an article by a fastener.

14. In a fastener setting machine, an anvil, a set, a guard surrounding the anvil, a tape guide pivotally supported at one end and supported by the guard at its other end, means for feeding a vtape to the pivotedend of the guide, means for severing the tape to form a tab after it leaves the other end of the guide, means for moving the' guard from around the anvil, and means for actuatin the set to secure the tab to an article. 15. n a' fastener setting machine, a set, a fixed anvil, a fixed cutter, a guard surrounding the anvil, a cutter carried by the guard, means for feeding a tape between the cutters and toward the anvil, means for mov- Iing the guard and the cutter supported thereby to sever the tape to form a tab, `and means for moving the set toward the anvil to secure the tab to an article: y

16. In a fastener setting machine, an anvil, a set provided with a spring pressed linger, means for feeding a tape between the Aset and anvil, means for moving the set toward the anvil to cause the end of the tape to be clamped between the spring pressed finger and the anvil and then to cause the set to secure the end of the tape to an article, and means for severing the end of the tape after it has been clamped but before it has been secured to the article.

1 7. In a fastener setting machine, fastener setting mechanism, means for feeding a tape toward the fastener setting mechanism, means for severing the tape to form a tab, a lever for actuating both the feeding means and the severing means, and means for actuating the fastener setting mechanism to secure the tab to an article.

18. In a fastener setting machine, fastener setting mechanism including an anvil, a guard surrounding the anvil, means for feeding a tape toward the fastener setting mechanism, means for severing the tape to form a tab, a lever for moving the guard from around the anvil and for actuating the tape feeding means, and means for actuating the fastener setting mechanism to secure the tab to an article.

19. In a fastener setting machine, fastener setting mechanism, means for feedin a tap'e toward the fastener setting mec anism, means for severing the tape to form a tab, a lever for actuating the tape feeding means and the tape severing means, and means for actuating the fastener setting mechanism to secure the tab to an article.

20. In a fastener setting machine, fastener setting mechanism, means for feeding a tape toward the fastener setting mechanism, means for severing the tape to form a tab, a lever for actuating the tape feedin means and the tape severing means, there eing' a lost motion connection between the lever and the tape severing means, and means for actuating the fastener setting -mechanism to secure the tab toan article. l

21.. A frame supporting 'a plunger with means for operating it, means for supplying eyelets in a position in the path of movement of said plunger, a magazine containing a quantity of disks, means for carrying the disks from said magazine to a position beneath said eyelet position to receive said eyelets that are passed through said disks by said plunger, and means to support an article beneath said disk position while being acted upon by said plunger to affix a disk to said article by means of aneyelet.

22. A frame supporting a plunger with means for operating it, means for supplying eyelets in a position in the path of movement of said plunger, a magazine for disks, a carrier to move the disks to a position underneath said plunger, means for withdrawing the carrier after the plunger has passed through a disk, and means to support an article beneath said disk position while being acted upon by said plunger to ax a disk to said article by means of an eyelet.

23. A frame supporting a plunger with means for voperating it, means for supplying eyelets 1n a position in the path of movement of said plunger, a magazine containing a quantity of disks, means for carrying the disks from said magazine to av position, in the path of movement of said eyelets that are passed through said disk by said plunger, beneath said disk position while being acted upon by said plunger to aiix a disk to said article by means of an eyelet.

24. A frame supporting a plunger with means for operating it and having means to support an-article, means for supplying eyelets inposition to beaiiixed to said article by said plunger, a disk magazine, a carrier mounted for reciprocating movement` from the magazine to the plunger to supply disks to the latter beneath said eyelet position, said carrier resting normally underneath the plunger, and means for moving the carrier to a position underneath the magazine in the downward movement of the plunger.

25. A frame supporting a plunger with means for operating it, means for supplying eyelets in a position in the path of movement of said plunger, a magazine containing a quantity oi disks, a carrier to convey the disks from said magazine to a position to receive said eyelets that are passed through said disks'by said'plunger, said carrier being arranged to support said disks as said eyelets are passed through them, and means to sup ort an article beneath said disk position w ile being acted upon by `said plunger and means to support an article to aiix a disk to said article by means of an eyelet.

26. A frame supporting a plunger with means for operating it, meansfor supplying eyelets in a position in the path of movement of said plunger, a magazine containing a quantity of disks, a carrier to convey thedisks from said magazine to a position to receive'said eyelets that are passed through said disks by said plunger, said carrier acting as asupport for the disks as the eyelets are passed through them, means for removing the carrier from underneath the plunger after the eyelets have been forced through the disks, and means to supportan article beneath said disk position While being acted upon by said plunger to affix a disk to said article by means of an eyelet.

27. A machine of the class described having, in combination, coperating setting dies, a holder for Washers in strip form, means for feeding the strip to position the endmost Washer in alinement with the dies, and means for severing said Washer from the strip after it has been so positioned.

v28. A machine of the class described having, in combination, coperating setting dies, means'for feeding a strip of Washers to position the endmostwasher in alinement with the dies, and means for severing said Washer from the strip after itl has been so positioned.

Dated this seventh day of July, 1913.

l i WILLARD E. SWlF-T. Witnesses:

PENnLorn COMBERBACH, Rmrns B. Fowmn. 

